6 Ways to Defeat a Pro-life Candidate

The Political Action Director gave a lecture on Thursday - "6 ways to defeat a pro-life candidate". I thought that these points were really important with the 2010 elections coming up! She is so smart and well informed and it was great to hear that she thinks that pro-life candidates ALL over the country have wonderful chances of be elected this election cycle. Keep praying and read the following list... encourage ALL your friends to vote. Not voting at all is the same thing as voting against the pro-life candidate.

The following is her speech/handout summarized:

#1: Fall in love with your candidate
NRLC encourages pro-lifers to get involved in campaigns - active participation builds a strong campaign. But too often pro-lifers get so excited about their candidate that if he/she loses to another pro-life candidate, the pro-life grassroots person becomes like a child who has lost a game (especially in a primary)... he takes his toys and goes home. He doesn't support the pro-life candidate who won, and won't volunteer in the campaign. Pro-life candidates need the active support of all-lifers and all too often without that full support,  a pro-abortion candidate wins.

#2 Believe that your candidate is the only "real" pro-life candidate in the race and bash other pro-life candidates
In primaries, too many times pro-lifers attack other pro-life candidates as not being "pro-life" enough. Because some pro-lifers have attacked the successful pro-life candidate, the pro-abortion candidate will use that in pro-life circles to hold down opponent. Ironically the pro-abortion candidate is going to other voters, attacking the pro-life candidate as a "radical pro-life extremist".

#3 Support a really nice candidate who is pro-life but has no chance of winning
Millions of unborn children's lives are at stake. That's why the viability of a candidate must be considered when we decide who to vote for. There are some wonderful pro-lifers who may even be active in our chapters, who decide to run for office. However, if they can't gain enough support to be a viable candidate, they need to be encouraged to step aside for a candidate who can actually win and take action to protect unborn children. Supporting to make a statement, not to make a difference is the perfect way to defeat a pro-life candidate.

#4 Expect the candidate to sound like a Right to Life chapter chairman
People who are not directly involved in the pro-life movement are not going to be as articulate or well-versed on all the pro-life issues. Some candidates may not realize that there are certain "code words" that are interpreted differently by the pro-life community. Sometimes a candidate can be tripped up by the media, misquoted, quoted out of context. Give him a chance to explain what he really believes. Remember, words are nice, action is better.

#5 Expect the candidate to always make abortion the major issue in the campaign
November 2008 polls found that 34% of voters affected the way that they voted. Of those 25% said they voted for the pro-life candidate. While it is a distinct advantage for candidates to be pro-life and makes a difference in the outcome of an election, it also means 66% of the voters had other issues that were more important to them. In order to win, a candidate has to focus on many issues that will appeal to a broad variety of voters. When abortion is discussed in the campaign, the candidate must clearly and directly articulate his position, you can't expect the candidate to always make abortion the major issue in the campaign to sure way to lose an election.

#6 Vote for a third-party or independent candidate who has no chance of winning
When a general election is between a pro-life candidate and pro-abortion candidate representing established parties, there will be times when a third-party or independent candidate will get into the race, claiming to be the "real" pro-lifer. He will attack the pro-life candidate who has real chances of winning and get other pro-lifers to do the same. This is a sure strategy to elect the pro-abortion candidate. Pro-lifers who support the third-party to the detriment of the pro-lifer may feel like they have not compromised their principles - but if they succeed in indirectly helping to elect a candidate who allow the killing of unborn babies to continue, they compromised away something far more important: children's lives.